That wasn’t for a lack of trying, though. Stepping out for lunch had me wondering what that island on the horizon was hiding, or what those underwater ruins I came across could yield to make the rest of my travels easier. Every discovery I made, and the excitement that came with it, was punctuated by the knowledge that there was a strong chance my next big find might deserve even more of a celebration.

It’s overwhelmingly large and packed with so much meaningful stuff that disbelief was a part of a lot of my early hours with it. But I’ve come to accept it now, and I’m more determined than ever to tease out every last secret the depths are hiding. What are Christmas holidays for, after all? I keep asking myself if that’s a realistic goal, though. Here’s why.

A New Side Of Pywel

I’ve spoken a lot about how Hernand was a place I couldn’t leave simply because of the sheer volume of cool things to do within its boundaries. Of course, that was before I travelled to Demeniss to engage with its complex political nuances, or Delysia, where Marni’s machines were a very interesting integration of steampunk and fantasy motifs.

But despite that, the ocean remaining firmly closed to visitors felt restrictive. The DLC changed that, and its shores became the starting point for new adventures that come with new ways to engage with the world. Yes, a lot of the game’s existing activities do play a role in the new content, but they’re all packaged so well and crafted in a way that fits within the new exploratory framework.

Exploring on land made way for going beneath the surface, and the change immediately makes the whole world feel a lot bigger and way more varied than you might think if the DLC’s promos are all you’ve got to go on. My ship was a major part of that, and I think that the developers nailed how voyages give you that sense of crossing large distances.

Picking a new destination and setting sail immediately feels like you’re on a journey, with all of the unpredictability that comes with such a venture. The coastline fades away into the distance, and the vast sea in front of you really helps sell that sense of scale when you cover large expanses of it and finally see the island you want to visit slowly looming larger in the distance.

Of course, the things that happened along the way are an equally important part of this conversation.

Discovering New Layers Of The World

I’d like to go back to my review to touch upon how I highlighted the sense of discovery that comes with diligently exploring Pywel’s oceans. It’s a facet that’s very relevant in an examination of the DLC’s size and scope, simply because every new place had something worthwhile to find.

I’m not going to forget arriving at an island only to find it was fully under the occupation of the Catfish Pirates. Wiping them out wasn’t even a debate, but I was delighted when doing so brought up a very cool-looking ship, complete with an epic entrance that had me staring slack-jawed at its design as it rose up from under the very ground. Yeah, you read that right.

Another island saw me find a treasure map, which then led me to explore more of the ocean in an effort to see if what it led me to was going to be useful in upgrading my build, ship, or diving gear. Getting there after a long search brought on a discovery I’m not going to spoil at all. But I can tell you that I stared slack-jawed at my screen, wondering just how many times I was going to find myself in the same situation as I went on with my business at sea.

Finding that stuff underlines the sentiment that the journey is as important as the destination, and that just getting started with something is the surest way to see it through. You see, I must admit to being quite lost when I first started with my naval adventures, wondering where I was supposed to go and what I was expected to do when I got there.

Of course, I reminded myself that this was Crimson Desert after all, and that realization was what opened my eyes to just how massive the new and improved Pywel really was.

The Mysteries Of The Depths

Notice how I’ve spoken largely about sailing on the water while only touching upon what was waiting below the surface? Well, I think underwater exploration deserves its own space, and perhaps even a separate article if my suspicions about barely scratching the surface turn out to be true.

The sheer vastness of the ocean becomes immediately evident the moment you hit the button to dive, and swimming around without my diving gear meant forays to the ocean bed were short and sweet, needing me to be quick in my efforts to tease out hidden chests and secrets before I had to return to the surface.

Of course, one such place that hosted the ruins of a sunken factory had a nice little piece of gear that not only came with a device that would help me breathe longer underwater, but also propellers that helped me cover more ground easily. That was a thrilling find, but with everything else I’ve told you about, I’m sure you can understand why I wondered if there was something even better lying in wait for me at the other end of the new world I was exploring.

And while I was tempted to begin marking random spots on the map and sailing to them to see what I would find, I soon found that was easier said than done.

Remember that pirate island and cool ship? I ended up stumbling upon a quest associated with it on my way to another island where I hoped to find more enemies to fight or cool stuff to take back to my new castle. I learned of an ancient shrine and a monster that the pirates wanted to control. “Over my dead body,” I thought as I set off to find the shrine’s treasure, a device that would foil their plans if I could manage to secure it for myself.

Four hours later, I found myself in another place, chasing down an entirely different set of leads. That’s going to sound familiar to you if you’ve spent any amount of time in Pywel, and the expansion does well to recreate that wanderlust with aplomb. Anything can tempt you to change course, be it a pirate ship bounty you come across or a random conversation that points you to something that piques your interest.

It’s a very welcome sense of unpredictability that makes the ocean feel as fickle as it is in the real world, which immediately makes it an alluring place to travel through. However, as nice as it was sailing around on my massive Delysian vessel, there were certainly things that called me back to the shoreline.

Stories That Matter

You might have guessed I’m talking about all the new ways you get to leave your mark on the land via owned businesses and houses and castles you get to decorate to your liking. Yes, all of it added a new layer of engagement to Pywel, but I’m talking about the epilogues that wrapped things up for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka.

Those stories were certainly done well, and the conclusions that they brought to each character’s individual tale were not only logical to their respective personalities, but also very insightful takes on what their new role in Pywel’s future meant to them on a personal level.

Between that and everything else I’ve been talking about, it’s easy to see how Charting the Unknown sets up a very addictive rhythm between travelling, discovering new things, and encounters that you can fondly think about when you’re at the wheel of your ship. The fact that all of this was after around fifteen hours of play is an indication of just how wide the new world the DLC introduces is.

I thought the ocean was going to be an interesting place from the moment I heard about the expansion. But what I didn’t expect was its sheer scope, and the way it was going to compel me to spend just a little longer with it to go investigate the island I could see in the distance, or to indulge my curiosity and simply dive into the water to see if there was anything worth finding.

I’m left thinking about all the places I marked out on my map, only to change my mind and set a course for something in the opposite direction. I know I’m going to get to those places eventually, the memory of why I wanted to go there being just that. And that’s precisely why this one’s an expansion that has me feeling like it’s the largest one I’ve ever seen in nearly thirty years of playing video games.

It’s been a pleasure to play this one, and I suspect that feeling is going to endure well into 2027 as I chip away at the vast expanse of water that now lives in my head rent-free.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Other highlights of the update include the ability to feed spotted seals, fixes for monsters with muskets aiming them in awkward directions, and a fix for a crash that could happen when the player approaches a castle or management facility with a large amount of flooring. For more details, check out the full patch notes below.

The update comes just a few days after the release of Crimson Desert’s major expansion – Charting the Unknown. The expansion introduced a host of new aspects to the already-dense game, including the ability to explore the oceans above and below the waters. Players can now take command of their own ship and sail across the ocean. And if they want a break, the ability to dive underwater is also available, providing new opportunities to discover treasures, sunken ruins, and more hidden mysteries.

Charting the Unknown also brought the ability to rent and manage facilities that can help players further expand on their fortunes. Along with this, players can also build their own home and even deepen their relationships with the people of Pywel.

For more details about Charting the Unknown, check out our review.

Crimson Desert version 2.04.08 patch notes:

• Improved framerate drops in certain areas.
  • We will continue to improve framerate drops that occur in certain situations and during certain content.
• Fixed an issue where the ship’s wheel would not rotate while steering the ship.
• [PS5] Fixed an issue where the game would crash during certain cutscenes.
• [Mac] Fixed an issue where the game would crash after defeating Leviakan, making it impossible to progress the game.
• Defeating Leviakan now grants its scale as a reward.
• Fixed an issue where character controls could become unresponsive in certain underwater caves.
• Fixed an issue where the character could not dive again in certain underwater caves.
• Fixed an issue where houses could disappear in certain situations when using Free Construction mode.
• Improved the game to show a confirmation prompt when deleting a room in Free Construction mode.
• Fixed an issue where the character would revive beneath the ship when attempting to revive on the Drunken Catfish.
• Fixed an issue where the camera could occasionally become unresponsive during pioneering.
• Fixed an issue where the Golden Striped Marlin could not be removed from the trade goods slots.
• Fixed an issue where players could not encounter the Phantom Ship in the Sea of Silence when riding a Phantom Ship.
• Fixed an issue where loading a save file near an anchorage on certain islands would cause the ship to spawn on the island.
• Fixed an issue where a quest to propose to a witch would not be completed even after the “Propose” interaction was successfully completed.
• Fixed an issue where selecting ‘Undo Changes’ would cause objects installed indoor to disppear at houses.
• Fixed an issue where entering housing mode in certain situations would move the player to a house in another location.
• Fixed an issue where, when playing a single save file across multiple accounts, enhancement levels of equipment could reset in certain situations.
• Fixed an issue where certain outfits appeared unnatural.
• Spotted seals can now be fed.
• Fixed an issue where letting go while clinging would unintentionally make the character roll.
• Fixed an issue where projectiles would continue to spawn from the Karanda’s Spheres.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with muskets would aim them in awkward directions.
• [Damiane] Fixed an issue where the Ascended Stab did not function properly when using a two-handed sword.
• Fixed an issue where the game would crash when approaching a castle or management facility, with a large amount of flooring placed, from a distance.
• Improved the game so that a help entry appears when the player encounters a school of fish.

This guide for Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting The Unknown DLC lists every available suit for deep-sea diving exploration.

Claim Charter’s Diving Sets Pre-Order Bonus

If you happen to have purchased the pre-order for Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting The Unknown, you have immediate access to the Charter’s Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka, as well as the shaped Charter’s Light Diving Set for Damiane.

Open up the menu, and navigate to Others -> Options -> Add-ons. Under Receivable Items you ought to see a Pre-order Exclusive Bonus entry to the left, and selecting it should display a total of eight distinct pieces for two sets of suits on the right:

• Charter’s Diving Helm
• Charter’s Diving Suit
• Charter’s Diving Gloves
• Charter’s Diving Boots
• Charter’s Light Diving Helm
• Charter’s Light Diving Suit
• Charter’s Light Diving Gloves
• Charter’s Light Diving Boots

Simply use the button prompt relevant to your platform in order to Receive them all and you will be able to dive deep far more freely, for up to an additional 240 seconds initially, at the sets’ base Refinement level of four.

Trade Ancient Relics For Marine Charter’s Diving Sets

For players who did not pre-order the DLC, there is another avenue to acquire two different diving suits instead.

The Marine Charter’s Diving Set and the Marine Charter’s Light Diving Set can be acquired piecemeal in exchange for the new Ancient Relics currency with Sulivan’s Relic Exchange at the Silvermoon Tradehouse in Demeniss Port. If the area is unpopulated with vendors, then you will need to complete the Demeniss faction quest ‘Silvermoon Trade Group’ first.

The Ancient Relics currency can be found in major Treasure Chests from sunken shipwrecks. You can also Make them at a Smithy by combining two Shattered Ancient Relics, which, in turn, are acquired from small hidden Treasure Chests scattered over the seabed of the The Great Ocean of Pywel, as well as on land along the coastline or on islands. They can also be farmed by culling Sharks and other larger sea creatures.

So you will have to freedive in relatively shallow areas until you can scrounge together the required funds to put together a full set of four pieces, ideally prioritizing the head and chest pieces for that increased breathing time, ahead of the tiny 2% swim speed multipliers from the gloves and boots.

You will need 5 Ancient Relics for each of the following:

• Marine Charter’s Diving Helm
• Marine Charter’s Diving Gloves
• Marine Charter’s Diving Boots
• Marine Charter’s Light Diving Helm
• Marine Charter’s Light Diving Gloves
• Marine Charter’s Light Diving Boots

You will need 7 Ancient Relics for each of the following:

• Marine Charter’s Diving Suit
• Marine Charter’s Light Diving Suit

That puts the total cost for a complete suit at 22 Ancient Relics, or 44 Shattered Ancient Relics. For all that work, the base Marine variant of the Charter’s Diving Suits begins with a Refinement level of zero, and so initially provides just half the total breathing time as the pre-order one.

Forsaken Oath Armor Set

While not technically labelled a ‘diving suit’ nor even remotely looking like one, each of the Forsaken Oath Armor set pieces have the attribute ‘Increases max breathing by X’, not to mention the swim speed multipliers. At Refinement level 4, they provide:

• Forsaken Oath Plate Helm 120 seconds
• Forsaken Oath Plate Armor 30 seconds and swim speed multiplier 4%
• Forsaken Oath Plate Gloves 30 seconds and swim speed multiplier 4%
• Forsaken Oath Plate Boots 30 seconds and swim speed multiplier 4%

This potentially makes this armor set a rival to either of the dedicated diving suits, depending on the levels of Refinement you invest. It is also a convenience to avoid having to switch armor pieces every time you wish to dive, not to mention the utility of an actual armor set in underwater combat against various sea creatures.

The Forsaken Oath Plate Helm is located in a Treasure Chest encased in green-tinged stone 215 odd meters down on the seabed, at the base of an underwater spire situated directly north of the ‘T’ in ‘Great’ of the Great Hydrothermal Vents on the map, and roughly west of the word ‘Island’ in Nirakan Island, both of which are in the South Sea of Pywel.

The Forsaken Oath Plate Armor can be found in a Treasure Chest encased in green-hued stone 60 odd meters down on the seabed amidst a sunken shipwreck, situated south of the biggest of the cluster of offshore islands that lie to the north-east of Ocula Island, and all of which are in the far east of the South Sea of Pywel.

The Forsaken Oath Plate Gloves can be found in a Treasure Chest encased in green-tinted stone 125 odd meters down on the seabed, in the vicinity of a large underwater rock formation, south-east of the ‘C’ and straight south of the ‘R’ in Reef of the Great Coral Reef on the map.

The Forsaken Oath Plate Boots can be found in a Treasure Chest encased in green-hued stone 15 odd meters down on the seabed, just north-west off of the coast of the Razanui Island deep in the South Sea of Pywel, further west of the Great Coral Reef.

By Refinement level 10, the entire Forsaken Oath Armor set offers a total additional 615 seconds of maximum breathing time.

Those are all the diving suits to be found in Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting The Unknown DLC, as well as how to get them.

This guide for Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting The Unknown DLC is all about actually accessing each of the Greymane Castles in order to make them your own.

Drakesfall Castle

Hernand Region

Requires prior completion of the story epilogue quest ‘Journey’s End’.

Begin by clearing out the present occupants of Drakesfall Castle. This should unlock the ‘Shield of Hernand’ faction questline.

This will eventually lead to the Greymanes being awarded Drakesfall Castle by Duke Celeste.

But that won’t be the end of it, as the castle still needs to be rebuilt before you can make it your own.

The ‘Castle Construction’ mission will require 20 comrades, including one skilled in construction, to be dispatched along with 30,000 in funds, and will take a duration of 15 whole in-game days until you can finally own your first stronghold.

Flame Knights’ Castle

Demeniss Region

Requires prior completion of the story epilogue quest ‘Journey’s End’.

This castle requires embarking upon Damiane’s new DLC questline ‘From The Ashes’ all the way through its final quest: ‘Path of the Politician’.

Next, boot out the current denizens of the Flame Knights’ Castle itself, in order to unlock the faction questline ‘A Memory Beyond Ashes’.

Progress through it until you are permitted to dispatch Greymanes to rebuild it as well.

Restoration is much steeper than Drakesfall Castle, and aside from the 20 comrades, will require:

• 100,000 funds
• 10,000 weapons
• 10,000 provisions
• 40,000 stone
• 40,000 wood

These are all from the camp pool of resources of course, so you will need to farm a ton of background missions where you dispatch your comrades on resource gathering tasks. The Flame Knights’ Castle also takes a tedious 15 days to reconstruct.

That is everything there is to know about liberating and restoring the Greymane Castles for yourself in Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting The Unknown DLC.

That’s a testament to how much cool stuff the expansion packs into an already elaborate open world, and it’s been a lovely weekend spent on the waters surrounding Pywel, with no shortage of important forays onto land as well. It’s kind of hard to even figure out where to start, but I’m going to pick the stories for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka to kick things off.

The short version is they’re awesome. The long version is that they’re neat little epilogues that bring each of the three playable protagonists to a place where they’ve left the events of the base game firmly behind, but continue to strive to be better and help Pywel heal in the bargain. Kliff’s story is particularly insightful, giving us a look into how he views his place in the world while bringing an interesting chain of events for him to look into.

Oongka’s tale is similarly intriguing, showcasing a side of the man we might not have guessed existed. It’s a great way to explain all the tech he brings to the table while allowing Oongka to pursue a different path to victory in whatever’s on the horizon for him. I loved that his story leaves behind his brawn and has him focused on exercising his brain instead.

But it’s Damiane’s epilogue that was my favorite, and it was a heady blend of Demeniss’s intricate political landscape with some excellent use of her newly forged bond with the Greymanes to push the narrative forward. The way it ends is a fantastic examination of the region’s societal structure, and the resolution is one that makes sense for its people.

"I’m not going to forget a pirate ship emerging out of the ground like a sort of terrestrial Flying Dutchman, or a metal serpent rising out of the waves in the midst of a thunderstorm, its scales glistening brightly against the moonlight."

However, while the stories themselves were interesting enough, they were oddly hamstrung by pacing issues that shouldn’t have been a part of the deal. Damiane is a notable exception here, but Kliff and Oongka often hit roadblocks in the narrative, with progress hidden behind some annoying puzzles that can take a while to solve. I’m not one to say no to a fair bit of brain pain, but having to indulge it when there’s an interesting story beat to get to can be annoying when it happens.

Another weak point was the bosses I took on as part of the story. I couldn’t help but feel like they were reskins of formidable enemies you’ve already met in the game, which does make sense from a narrative standpoint but not from an expansion where you’re expecting cool new stuff.

However, that isn’t the case with the rest of the expansion, as the enemies it brings to the table are resplendently imposing in their designs and mechanically complex enough to present a challenge. I’m not going to forget a pirate ship emerging out of the ground like a sort of terrestrial Flying Dutchman, or a metal serpent rising out of the waves in the midst of a thunderstorm, its scales glistening brightly against the moonlight.

I wasn’t too happy about fighting either one at night, when the darkness was more of a threat to my powerful build than the foes I was facing down. It’s something that can take the fun out of figuring out when and where to strike at an enemy’s weak point, a necessity in both battles. However, with the night decidedly against me, I ended up hacking away at that pirate ship until I eventually whittled down its health. Am I proud of cheesing a boss in this manner? Perhaps not. But was it still a heck of a good time? That’s a resounding yes.

"Naval combat in the expansion’s early hours was a fairly rudimentary affair, with a set of cannons on your broadside and starboard ports to shoot at enemies as you manoeuvre around enemy fire."

Before we go on, a bit of good news: that’s about it for my complaints. It’s smooth sailing from here on out, and I think it’s time we climb aboard a ship to begin tackling the ocean in the room. Well-implemented faction quests do a good job of introducing you to purchasing ships, manning them with your Greymanes, and then setting out to sea towards your next adventure.

While building a smaller ship was a breeze thanks to a vast amount of resources I hoarded on my base game save, I must tell you that the larger, sturdier options are quite pricey. You could always build your own ones via dispatch missions, but between finding the blueprints you need, farming resources, and then waiting a set number of in-game days, you’re better off just buying one outright from your nearest Shipwright.

But what about the joy of sailing into uncharted waters, with nothing but the wind and some great music to keep your crew’s spirits high? That’s on point here, and while the developer really needs to add an animation for that static wheel on the ship, your vessel’s speed and movements are largely smooth and intuitive.

Naval combat in the expansion’s early hours was a fairly rudimentary affair, with a set of cannons on your broadside and starboard ports to shoot at enemies as you manoeuvre around enemy fire. Of course, I’m almost certain incredible weapons are waiting for me to discover them, although I was yet to find one over roughly fifteen hours of time with it.

"You do get a diving suit that makes things easier if you pre-ordered the expansion, but if you haven’t, it’s probably going to be a while before you actually start penetrating the depths of the ocean."

That brings me to what was my favorite facet of Crimson Desert, and a crucial part of why Charting the Unknown lands as well as it does: the joy of discovery. The Ocean felt like Hernand all over again, with something interesting feeling like it was never too far away as I sailed around the ocean, picking fights and diving below the surface to see if I could dredge up some loot.

One such expedition into the icy depths saw me exploring the decrepit infrastructure of a sunken mine, with plenty of sharks and other dangerous creatures to keep me company as I tried to swim about while managing my breath and stamina. You do get a diving suit that makes things easier if you pre-ordered the expansion, but if you haven’t, it’s probably going to be a while before you actually start penetrating the depths of the ocean. But wait, this is Crimson Desert after all.

That sunken mine I mentioned had a chest tucked away neatly into the corner of a fallen gazebo, and it contained a tool that immediately made things easier below the waves. It worked as a sort of diving helmet paired with wing-like propellers that chew through your stamina bar in exchange for some serious speed when you swim. The diving helmet ensures you don’t need to gasp for air at the surface as often as you would have in its absence, which then makes getting around underwater quite nifty.

It was good enough that I’m yet to begin building my collection of mounts, something that I really enjoy and was saving for a proper session of exploration. It really helped me navigate the ruins of an ancient shrine, giving me enough time for my brain to figure out solutions to its puzzles before I could grab its prize and make it back to the surface with a very generous amount of breath to spare.

I’m a little miffed at not finding any new weapons of Abyss Gears during my travels, but I must mention that even after all those hours, it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what the ocean has to offer me. It helps that other mechanics governing Pywel, such as the Trading system, have made the shift from land to sea quite seamlessly, and there’s a thriving economy of trade goods for you to exploit.

"The quests you take on are quite intriguing, taking you to distant islands, sunken caves, and getting you into all sorts of trouble."

There are also Pirate Bounties to take on, which you can do with either your ship or by dropping on the deck from the skies and tearing through the enemy crew. I had a very enjoyable time peppering the deck of another ship with wind blasts from my wyvern before I decided to put its crew out of their misery and enter the fray myself.

Several islands are available for exploration, many of them hiding secrets, further clues to other regions, and perhaps even a treasure map for you to use. It’s here that a little bit of friction creeps in, thanks to the base game’s mission structure finding its way into the expansion. For instance, one of the new Faction Quests had me infiltrating a pirate stronghold and chipping away at their numbers.

In the base game, that would have been a fort with enemies coming at me from all directions, the archers of the Delysian woods being an exception. However, when you’re on a tropical island where the terrain is a challenge in and of itself, getting to your next batch of enemies takes time and effort while running the risk of throwing you off your rhythm.

The quests you take on are quite intriguing, taking you to distant islands, sunken caves, and getting you into all sorts of trouble. Yeah, a few duds do crop up from time to time, but the majority of them make things interesting enough for you to chase that next marker halfway across the world. A word of warning if you’re heading to the eastern edge of the map: be ready to run. I’ll say nothing more on the subject, but it’s certainly a sight to behold!

With all of this going on, I wasn’t really surprised to find that exploring the world and getting better stuff for yourself and your ship feed into each other quite nicely. One of my finest discoveries was a set of blueprints to add rocket propulsion systems to my ship, Once Human-style, removing the need to rely on my sails to catch the wind. But alas, the lack of one piece of a rare ore has held me back from that particular upgrade.

"I can safely say that the entire experience comes together very well, and it even has me thinking that it might open up more avenues to explore and engage with the further I go."

In another game, that would be mildly infuriating, but in Charting the Unknown, it’s a reason to just hop on the deck of my ship and set off into the distance, the prospect of finding what I want, and a whole lot of other stuff along the way being far too compelling to pass up. With all that time spent at sea, it’s only natural to hope that everything looks as good as it plays, and feels as smooth as it can be, too.

Thankfully, performance on my PC running a Ryzen 5600X and RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB let me render at 2560 × 1440 with most settings at either High/Ultra, DLSS 4.5 set to Performance, and Frame Generation on. The Cinematic setting did work, but it ended up tanking my frame rates in the game’s busier areas. However, lowering those settings gave me enough room to throw in ray tracing, and it’s a pleasure to look at when you see the sun or moon shining at you from the ocean’s surface.

So, in summary, we’ve got great visuals and performance, some nice story beats, excellent open-world exploration, and the new ships to keep us coming back for more. Well, I can safely say that the entire experience comes together very well, and it even has me thinking that it might open up more avenues to explore and engage with the further I go.

I can’t see myself exploring every corner of the ocean before GTA 6 arrives, and that’s factoring in several hours that shouldn’t be possible for someone who has an adult life. That should tell you just how vast this ocean is, and just how much it brings to the table for you to enjoy. Charting the Unknown does well to give us more Crimson Desert, but with excellent twists that set it apart from the base game while retaining its best features.

Which brings us to the big question: do I recommend this one? If you liked Crimson Desert, or love open-world games that can have you living a virtual life in them, you cannot go wrong with this one. However, if you’re the type who likes their experiences short and sweet, this one goes in the other direction entirely. Nevertheless, Charting the Unknown is a fantastic expansion, and a whale of a good time too!

This game was reviewed on PC.

Mind you, a weekend isn’t enough to see and experience everything that an expansion of this size and scope offers in a world that’s already as massive as Pywel. But it has been enough for us to see what’s new for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka, a trio of protagonists whose respective storylines fit very well into the expansion’s theme.

We’re quite happy with these new chapters for each of them, although there are areas where things could stand to improve. We’re here to dive into what’s good, what isn’t, and how these three stories take the overall narrative forward and tie things off satisfactorily enough to merit this conversation we’re having with you. Let’s set out right away!

A More Focused Approach

We should probably tell you to expect minor spoilers here, but we’ve made sure to leave out any important details that could otherwise hamper your enjoyment of the three stories. With that out of the way, it’s time to tackle them one by one.

No matter which of the three Greymanes (Damiane’s unofficial induction still counts in our eyes) you decide to take on, the first thing that stands out is that the character in question remains front and center through the whole thing. That’s an immediate improvement over the base game, where Kliff was often at the center of the narrative to the detriment of his other two protagonists’ character arcs.

It’s nice, then, to see Damiane and Oongka get nice little epilogues that showcase what they’ve been up to since we last saw them play a role in bringing peace to Pywel, and ending Caliburn’s devious schemes quite summarily. It’s helped along by pacing and mission design that send you from one event to another with enough justification for the journey, and with interesting things to find out waiting at your destination.

Take Damiane’s story, for instance. There’s tension set up from the very first moment, and while we can’t get into spoilers, the mysterious disappearance of a returning character who is quite close to her thanks to the base game’s events is the perfect catalyst for her investigation into a new potential threat to Demeniss. The stakes are high, the situation is quite grounded in what we already know of her motivations and the region, and the narrative direction and writing carry the weight of meeting our high expectations.

But what about the stories themselves? Do the revelations they bring us feel like the right kind of closure on a tale that was previously among the weakest parts of the base game? There’s good news on that front.

New Roads For Kliff

Aptly called Beyond the Margins, Kliff’s story mission in Charting the Unknown takes the expansion’s title quite literally. We could say the same for the other two as well, but it’s most pronounced in the underlying themes of Kliff’s story arc. What could a Greymane who has achieved what he set out to do in the first palace have to offer Pywel, a land that now enjoys a newfound peace?

Quite a lot, as it turns out. You meet Sebastian, an enthusiastic cartographer, and accompany him on a journey to investigate a mysterious new sandstorm in the Crimson Desert. Of course, other interested parties come along to help you, and they’re certainly a welcome presence in the story.

Equally welcome are the antagonists behind it all. We’re not going to spoil the identity of the faction behind all this trouble just yet, but the narrative weaves them into the tale not with sinister accounts of their wrongdoings, but by making you experience the effects of their actions firsthand.

Thematically, the sandstorm and desert make this a journey into territory that should be familiar, but now comes with the threat of getting lost in the desert, and perhaps running afoul of its latest threat. Kliff’s noble disposition is then the perfect reason for him to choose to help, and his reflections on what it means to brave distant lands and lay the groundwork for those who follow reinforce his role as a pensive, introspective leader.

It’s good stuff, and it’s because the story challenges Kliff in a way that his previous adventures haven’t. He’s journeying into the unknown and learning more about himself and his own motivations along the way.

A New Side Of Oongka

It’s easy to see Oongka as nothing more than muscle for the Greymanes, despite his keen tactical mind and a strength of character that belies his gruff exterior. At least, that was the case until Charting the Unknown. Turns out, the man is as introspective as Kliff and is determined to ensure he’s ready for whatever comes next in Forged Resolve.

His motivations for doing so could come off as a little weak, but we can see how they help set up an arc that sees Oongka turn to his mind instead of his muscles to come up with a solution. That, in turn, is a great way to set up some excellent callbacks to the base game’s story while allowing Oongka to show us a side of him that helps explain his fighting style quite subtly.

The base game did nothing to help us understand how and why he weaves fancy technology into his arsenal, but we’re now given a good look into how the man fancies great engineering and decides to accumulate the knowledge he needs to create his own inventions.

We know Oongka as a seasoned warrior, but can he hack it as a scholar and inventor? We’ll leave you to answer that for yourself, but we certainly liked how the story challenged him to go down a path he might not have considered before the Black Bear’s attack on the Greymanes. That brings us to the final story of the lot, and we’ve saved the best for last.

Damiane’s Rise To Prominence

Demeniss often felt like a region whose political intrigue was a tad too underutilised in the story. We would have loved to see its nobles and officials squabbling and scheming a little more than the glimpse of its court we were given in the base game. Well, all of that’s front and center in Damiane’s latest chapter, and it’s an excellent way to weave in a bit of character development for her as well.

Caliburn might be gone, but the lingering effects of his scheme have placed Demeniss in a precarious position, with its nobility looking to create a future in which the stability of the region isn’t going to be threatened by the whims of a corrupt aristocracy. That’s easier said than done, however, and with returning characters and new ones to meet, Damiane’s story does a great job of giving her character a new role to play in the land she so loves.

Where Kliff learned more about the effort it takes to pave a path to the future for the people he protects, and Oongka looked to secure that future through technology, Damiane finds her footing by deftly navigating a political landscape that was once weaponized against her, but is now the very thing she uses to help secure a better future for Demeniss.

Of course, it helps that the Greymanes are now firmly at her side instead of a disjointed effort at showcasing their working relationship in the base game. Damiane’s transformation from exile to social reformer is one that lands very well, and is probably our favorite among the three.

That takes care of our heroes, but what about the villains they face?

Rather Forgettable Antagonists and Puzzles

For all of the strengths of these new chapters for our beloved heroes, it’s a tad disappointing that the bad guys they’re chasing down are largely forgettable. Yes, the leader of the bandit faction that Damiane takes on brings some awesome fire-based attacks to the table, but with our characters being as powerful as they are thanks to our diligent exploration of Pywel, there wasn’t too much of a challenge in taking him down.

The same goes for Kliff, with a final fight against a boss that merely felt like a reskin of ones we’ve fought before, despite some new attacks being added to the table. However, what’s even more frustrating is the fact that getting to those fights still came with a bit of friction in the form of new puzzles.

We’re not trashing the puzzles themselves, even though they’re largely familiar and perhaps not as well-designed as some of the ones in the base game. Rather, it’s their placement in the story that we take issue with. They often come at times when you’d much rather be learning what’s new in the story, and act as obstacles to that far too often.

Take the one with Oongka, for example. An important conversation with one of the new friends he makes in his story has us solving a puzzle to enter the room where he’s at, despite the two men sharing the same space in the previous cutscene. It often feels like the story forces you to jump over hurdles at a time when its pacing has you quite eager to find out what happens next, and it happens often enough to be an annoyance.

The Power of Closure

Despite those minor issues, Charting the Unknown delivers a strong set of chapters to tie off the stories that Crimson Desert started, and brings a satisfying new direction for our three heroes to take.

It’s effective at setting up their futures in the absence of the world-threatening conflict that they had to take on in the base game, allowing them to take confident steps in the new world that align with their motivations and personalities. It also challenges their notions well enough to make the journeys they take meaningful.

That’s quite a good showing for tales that are meant to be epilogues, and as post-game continuations of existing tales, these new chapters are as enjoyable as they come. Minus those puzzles, of course.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Which is a shame because from the few hours that we managed to squeeze in, this is exactly what the base game needed. Not just the new sailing and exploration, the massive new addition South of an already gargantuan Pywel, or even the challenging new bosses. It rekindles that feeling of adventure and, much like its name, creates both anticipation and fear at what lies on the precipice of the unknown.

Of course, the biggest difference from the average Crimson Desert Enhanced experience is the new ship. As we’ve noted before, this isn’t some handout. You need to follow a questline, slay some pirates and then pursue the Small Shipbuilding dispatch mission (which requires five Greymanes, materials and camp funds). If you want to buy a ship outright, you can choose three sizes from the get-go or opt for a dinky – I mean, “humble” rowboat. They’ll never see it coming.

Once you’ve customized its various elements, including the hull, bow, stern, sails and cannons (and a sick color scheme), the high seas await. And from there, it’s really anything goes. You’ll encounter other factions and their ships, then engage in naval warfare, whether unleashing cannon volleys or ramming the enemy. If you prefer the latter over the former, install rocket thrusters on your ship, of all things, and watch the enemy go from confusion to dread in very short time.

What’s really impressive is that the development team could have thrown together rudimentary naval combat and called it a day. After all, Charting the Unknown arrives over seven months after the base game, especially after numerous massive updates and patches. Surely it could afford to take it easy on this one feature…aanndd they somehow chose to make it like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag.

That means actually aiming the cannons, and firing off more when you have more gunners. The damage effects are similarly breathtaking. A direct hit from enemy fire will actually send your allies flying into the blue. Properly setting up other crewmates, like riggers and carpenters, can also make a difference between life and a quick trip to Davy Jones’ locker (assuming he exists in this universe).

Of course, being similar to Black Flag isn’t the same as the real deal, which leads me to one of the more annoying elements of Charting the Unknown’s sailing: The camera. It’s already difficult to gauge whether you’re gaining or losing speed, but when the perspective goes beyond the 90-degree threshold at the bow, you’ll change direction. Combat depends on positioning and reliably crossing paths with an enemy vessel, and these camera quirks create some unnecessary frustration.

Thankfully, it’s not enough to kill the sense of fun, especially when you’re desperately dodging shots and colliding head-on. Of course, if you prefer to temporarily leave your ship (good luck, First Mate) and board an enemy vessel for some good ol’ fisticuffs, that’s also a viable strategy. You don’t even have to get close. Thanks to the game’s robust gliding mechanics, refined and sped up over many updates, you can fly over to an enemy ship and wreck shop.

Alternatively, take Blackstar and go on a tear, recreating one of the better moments from Game of Thrones’ finale (which isn’t tough to narrow down, but you get what I mean). Hover over your target of choice and let the flames loose. I’m still not over the inherent summoning cooldown (yes, even after all these months), but I have to admit – if any area in this game is best suited for flight, it’s the ocean. Heck, even a wyvern will do, even if its air blasts aren’t as spectacularly radiant.

Even if you haven’t progressed enough in the story, or bothered raising a wyvern, there’s still a lot to like about setting forth and seeing what happens, capturing the spirit of the base game. It’s one thing to explore the new islands and dive underwater, dodging sharks with the munchies one second and navigating coolly with your pet the next, or encounter ghost ships that add an air of eeriness to regular naval combat. The ability to create seaports and transport cargo makes for some fun sea trading for those into it, even if hefty waiting periods await.

But diving too deep and being taken by the Kraken? Venturing to the one island near the Great Coral Reef and immediately getting assailed by tons of sharks? Unearthing clues that point towards blueprints for a Legendary ship? These are just a handful of things that await, and that doesn’t even cover everything possible on the mainland, like organizing festivals at your camp and even turning some visitors into “Honorary Greymanes” who can then go on dispatch missions. Or the seventeen new residences to build and live in, alongside the new home decoration options. There is so much to unpack, and that’s before the undocumented changes, an ol’ Crimson Desert special, that abound.

Of course, there are other caveats beyond just the sailing camera, including bugs and technical issues. For example, the initial quest bugged out and prevented progression, requiring loading from an earlier save. Then there are all the issues faced by AMD 9000 series GPU users. One player with a Radeon RX 9070 XT, who topped 110 FPS on the mainland, reports performance dropping to 45 FPS when sailing or diving underwater. Others have reported visual glitches, which are seemingly gone after the latest hotfix. And if you think it’s a problem for AMD users, one user with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, who got by just fine on land, reports performance tanking at sea.

Some design choices may not appeal to everyone, including repetitive crewmate dialogue or the lack of control over shanties. While I can see these being addressed in record time – after all, the latest hotfix addresses such issues as pirates teleporting when they end up in the water, sea serpents ceasing their attack for no reason and, my favorite, the game occasionally crashing – you’d think that the development team would have a handle on some of the finer aspects. The little things that really stood out from all those updates and turned Crimson Desert from a promising game into a must-play experience.

Now, I don’t want to trot out the “it’s early days yet, so give it some time” excuse. But if the team insists on the same approach as the base game – gathering feedback and quickly acting on it – it’ll have to move even faster to address Charting the Unknown’s complaints. Once again, this is a season of mega-hits that are all dragging attention away.

And that would be a shame because it is a fun experience, building on the base game’s strong foundation with new systems and activities (including the much-requested boss rush, Garden of Trials, which hides some exceptional new rewards), while improving it further with much-needed additions and quality-of-life improvements. If you’re a hardcore fan desperate for new content to sink dozens of additional hours into while still thinking whether to leave Hernand, then this expansion is it, flaws and all.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Things can get a little dicey, though, especially if you’ve decided to come to Pywel for the first time after the expansion caught your eye. But whether you’re a seasoned pro at navigating the world with your wyverns or dragon, or a bright-eyed newbie wondering where you should go next and how to get there, this one’s here to help you get the party started. Let’s go.

1. Look For Air Pockets Underwater

If you’ve spent any amount of time with Edward Kenway, another popular seafaring protagonist, this one’s going to sound quite familiar to you. There are numerous ruins and caves that are below the surface that require you to take a lengthy swim to access them and uncover any secrets they’re hiding.

There’s just one catch: your character isn’t getting any fancy breathing equipment from the Abyss and must rely on their lungs for the most part. Fortunately, there are air pockets for you to find that can let you get a fresh breath of air before you dive back into the water to find whatever it is you were looking for.

2. Taming Underwater Creatures

Anyone who’s tried to tame Rokade with an early-game stamina bar knows that the taming minigame is no joke unless you use the camera perspective trick that’s now been well-documented. We like to earn our wins the hard way, though, and the new underwater creatures you encounter need a little bit of thinking before you can get them to work with you.

Some of them might need to be fed before you earn their trust, while others must be tamed. Picking the right way to approach an unfamiliar creature is half the battle won already, and knowing whether you need the carrot or the stick goes a long way in getting you a mount to cut through the waters with.

3. The A.T.A.G. Can Help Explore Underwater

In case you haven’t found out already, the A.T.A.G. mech, or the Iron Knight as we call it, isn’t just a fancy way to tear through enemy ranks anymore. You can fit it with underwater equipment to let you take it below the surface without the need for you to hold your breath.

Visit any of the research workshops to get started with this, ensuring you have the right materials and enough cash to pay for the upgrades in question. Once that’s done, all that’s left to do is to enjoy your future dives with the safety of the mech allowing you to stay under the water far longer than you could otherwise manage.

4. Get Your Crew’s Orders Sorted Before Setting Sail

If you’re the kind of captain who takes discipline on the deck of your vessel seriously, it’s probably a good idea to ensure that you set your crew’s roles on board before you leave port. You don’t get to switch things up while at sea, which is understandable given the confusion that could cause if you were on a real ship.

Everyone knows what they have to do, and it’s up to you to ensure that they get it right the first time.

5. Be Intelligent About The Starting Points of Island Dispatches

If you find yourself trying to get your ship dispatched to an unexplored island in your efforts to pioneer new frontiers, but are unable to get the mission started, you should check whether you’re in range of the location’s facility circle. That’s usually why some dispatches refuse to start, and getting that sorted should solve the issue.

You should also pay attention to assigning the appropriate number of deckhands for the voyage, which is another condition that might trip you up if you don’t notice the game telling you what you need to do.

6. Keep A Shovel In Your Inventory

If you’re looking for treasure in a certain location that the map points you to but there’s no chest in sight, the chances are it’s underground and needs to be excavated before you can see what goodies it has in store for you.

Keeping a shovel in your inventory is thus a good idea, ensuring you’re ever at the ready to grab some new loot, and possibly change the way you’re approaching combat and exploration if you’re lucky enough to nab a new Abyss Gear, weapon, or armor piece. That’s not even factoring in the useful resources you’re likely to nab in the process. If trading a single inventory slot is the price of that, it’s one we’d gladly pay.

7. Talk To Your Fleetmasters Before Splurging On A Ship

You’ve probably already found out that ships are quite expensive in the expansion’s early hours. Losing one could mean a fortune sinking to the depths right in front of your eyes, which is sure to hit if (and probably when) it happens. However, you should go right up to a Fleetmaster before mourning your lost vessel.

You see, Fleetmasters can recover lost vessels and perhaps even repair destroyed ones as long as you have enough gold to compensate them for their services. We don’t know if Pywel has its own version of Davy Jones’s locker, but it’s nice to know that a bit of cash can help recover something as precious as a ship.

8. Don’t Fly Over Whirlpools (Unless You Want To)!

It’s quite tempting to try this out when you’re on a wyvern or Blackstar, but flying above a whirlpool is going to pull you in and make you lose control of your mount and get sucked into the depths. While this could be annoying if you already have somewhere else to be, there’s a case to be made for doing this deliberately when you’re ready.

Some whirlpools pull you down deep, letting you access hidden areas where you might even find a boss waiting for you. Unique rewards and one of the DLC’s secret achievements are hidden behind this mechanic, and we’d recommend taking these on once you have a refined diving suit in your possession.

9. Plan Routes With Trading Stops

It would be a shame to let all the space you’ve got in your hull be wasted, now, wouldn’t it? Just like wagons, ships can also be loaded up with trade goods and be sailed to posts set up all around the new, expanded map. What’s more, trade routes are permanently visible, and it’s a good idea to plan your route in such a way as to ensure you’re docking at a trading post to get in some nice trades along the way.

Sailing your ship isn’t just about having fun on the waters and perhaps picking a few fights along the way, after all. We must admit that we slept on this one for a while, but we know better now. You could say we rowed so you could sail.

10. Take Care Of Business Before Long Voyages

Managed facilities can continue their operations in your absence, and it’s a good idea to get them working on whatever they produce before you head out to explore the seas. You’ll have their respective outputs waiting for you once you get back, and have them ready to begin production again before you head out.

This one’s important because efficiency seems to be quite important to your progression loop in Charting the Unknown, and being prudent about how you utilize the in-game clock is going to help you sustain your growth over the course of the story, as far as we can tell.

11. Don’t Dispose of Exploration Relics

You’re going to find a few relics during your travels, and they might not seem like they’re useful, but hold on to them. You eventually meet a Relic Collector with whom you can trade them in exchange for useful items.

Some of the stuff they’ve got in their pockets is quite nifty, and it’s a good idea to ensure that the relics you find are being put to good use instead of just getting rid of them to maintain a clear inventory screen.

12. Board Enemy Ships When You Can

We suspect most of you would have done this anyway, but it does bear mentioning that choosing to take on the crew of a hostile ship directly is almost always a better, less expensive choice than an all-out fight. You’re going to save a lot of cash on repairs and perhaps even restoration in case you lose the fight.

Plus, it’s always fun to engage with the game’s combat system, and wiping out the entire crew of an enemy ship is certainly an entertaining way to showcase your moves.

13. Pick Your Next Destination Wisely

The DLC has brought an improved map that now highlights areas based on whether they’re occupied by hostile forces or not. Red areas are blockaded; light red ones are under reconstruction, yellow ones have incidents for you to check out, and gray ones are uncharted.

It’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into before you’re there so you can prepare accordingly and gather up enough supplies to ensure you meet your goals in the region no matter what they are.

14. Your Business’s Layout Matters

If you find that one or more of your businesses isn’t performing as well as you expect it to, it’s probably because of an operational bottleneck that your staff is unable to get around. Your workers need access to the front of workstations to be at their productive best. In the absence of that, they’re going to take a well-deserved break if their access is blocked.

Get in there and rotate the workstation in question in case it’s indeed obstructing the workflow, to get your business back to being as profitable as it can be.

15. Save Some Comrades For Your Ship’s Crew

You should look to fill out vacancies aboard your ships before assigning your comrades to businesses, since it’s a shared pool that could leave you wanting for manpower aboard your vessel if you’re not careful.

It’s a good idea to ensure you’re well-manned before you decide to put your comrades to work on land.

And that’s about it with this one. You should get off to a lovely start with these tips in mind, and we can tell you that there’s a whole wide world out there to discover aboard your vessel and, of course, under it when the urge to go diving takes you. May our paths cross in Pywel, and may the winds ever favor your sails. Happy exploring!

For example, you can now share Knowledge with NPCs through the Chat option, thus increasing their trust. A storage box dedicated entirely to insects is also available, and you can now collect three new Legendary insects. Those who wanted more leeway for changing their hairstyles can now find a barbershop in all the major cities.

If you’ve ever sat around camp and wondered why things like the Frying Pan or Kitchen Knife can’t be used in combat, well, now they can. You can also purchase new house objects, including puppy cushions, flowerbeds and cat watchtowers. If ever there’s a reason to revisit the game, this is it.

Of course, there are other improvements, including Counter attack animation improvements, reduced startup times when using Oongka’s Scatter Shot or Damiane’s Shield Toss, and trade routes now appearing on the map at all times. The map can also zoom out even further than before (which makes sense considering how much larger it’s become with the expansion). Check out the full patch notes here for more details.

Patch Notes Version 2.04.00

New Additions

• Save files created while the DLC is installed cannot be loaded or used for cross-save in a game version that does not include the DLC.
• Improved the NPC interaction UI.
  – You can now ‘Chat’ and ‘Gift.’ with other NPCs.
  – You can perform ordinary interactions through ‘Interact.’
  – Through ‘Chat,’ you can share your Knowledge with NPCs and earn their trust.
  – Added new books that will help you learn residents’ preferences.
• After performing an interaction that raises trust with an NPC, the wait time (cooldown) until the same interaction can raise trust again will be displayed.
• Added a dedicated storage box for insects, making it easier to manage and collect insects.
  – Three new legendary insects and sighting reports have been added.
• Barber Shops have been added to major cities.
  – The newly added barber shops can be used regardless of camp.
• You can now change the Greymanes’ outfits at the Comrade Dispatch Tent.
  – Camp resources are required to change outfits.
• Added Life skill tools that can be used in combat.
  – Frying Pan
  – Ladle
  – Frying Pan Lid
  – Jar Lid
  – Kitchen Knife
• New placeable objects for your house have been added, including paths, trees, flowerbeds, cat watchtowers, and puppy cushions.
  – Cat watchtowers can be purchased from the newly added Cat Watchtower Merchant.
• Wagons can now be equipped with equipment, and new wagon-exclusive equipment has been added.
• A new wainwright has been added to the port area.
• The maximum stack size for items has been increased overall.

Check out the launch trailer below, which showcases Kliff wrestling a giant shark, emerging from the water to board an enemy ship and even attaching thrusters to his own vessel for maximum ramming speed. In terms of player response, at least on Steam, the expansion has been rated “Mostly Positive” with 78 percent of its currently 261 reviews recommending it.

What’s odd is the player count. Since launch, it’s peaked at 19,954 concurrent players, which isn’t too shabby, but that’s after seven months of free updates and improvements, and over 276,000 Steam players at launch. That’s also a significant step-down from the launch of the Enhanced Update and its many story improvements.

Granted, it just released, and the reception is likely far stronger on consoles to make up for this, so we’ll need to wait for more details. Either way, with how massive Charting the Unknown is, as discussed in this Reddit post, it’s going to keep hardcore fans busy for a long time. Check out our feature for the latest details you should know (including the requirements to play).